Vane assembly for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed herein. The vane assembly includes an inner platform, an outer platform, and a ceramic-containing airfoil that extends from the inner platform to the outer platform. The ceramic-containing airfoil is manufactured to have radially discontinuous ribs spaced radially apart from one another between the inner platform and the outer platform.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprising
 an inner platform and an outer platform spaced apart from the inner platform to define a gas path therebetween, and 
 a ceramic-matrix composite airfoil that extends from the inner platform to the outer platform across the gas path, the ceramic-matrix composite airfoil formed to include a pressure side, a suction side, and a plurality of ribs spaced radially apart from one another between the inner platform and the outer platform that interconnect the pressure side with the suction side, 
 wherein the ceramic-matrix composite airfoil includes (i) a core having a plurality of rib-containing sections and at least one hollow section stacked radially on top of one another to form the plurality of ribs, and (ii) an overwrap that wraps around the core to form the pressure side and the suction side of the airfoil, 
 wherein the rib-containing sections form interfaces that are non-planar with radially-adjacent sections of the core that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the rib-containing sections includes a first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement included in one of the rib-containing sections is woven or braided so that the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement does not have a seam that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the rib containing sections include a second tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement arranged axially adjacent to the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement in contact with the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the hollow sections includes a tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement included in each of the hollow sections is woven or braided so that the tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement does not have a seam that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rib-containing sections and the hollow sections form the interfaces that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil and define interface angles with the inner platform. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein rib-containing sections and the hollow sections form the interfaces that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil and define at least a portion of a wave between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the airfoil. 
     
     
       9. A ceramic-matrix composite airfoil adapted for use in a gas turbine engine, the airfoil comprising
 a core including a plurality of rib-containing sections stacked radially relative to one another to form a plurality of ribs that extend from a pressure side of the airfoil to a suction side of the airfoil and that are radially spaced apart from one another, wherein the rib-containing sections form interfaces that are non-planar with radially-adjacent sections of the core that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil, and 
 an overwrap that wraps around the core to form the pressure side and the suction side of the airfoil. 
 
     
     
       10. The airfoil of  claim 9 , wherein the interfaces define interface angles with the inner platform. 
     
     
       11. The airfoil of  claim 9 , wherein the interfaces define at least a portion of a wave between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the airfoil. 
     
     
       12. The airfoil of  claim 9 , wherein the core includes at least one hollow section stacked radially between rib-containing sections to space the ribs of the rib-containing sections radially apart from one another. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein rib-containing sections and the at least one hollow section form the interfaces that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil and define interface angles with the inner platform. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein rib-containing sections and the at least one hollow section form the interfaces that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil and define at least a portion of a wave between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the airfoil. 
     
     
       15. The airfoil of  claim 12 , wherein each of the hollow sections includes a tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement. 
     
     
       16. The airfoil of  claim 15 , wherein the tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement included in each of the hollow sections does not have a seam that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform. 
     
     
       17. The airfoil of  claim 9 , wherein each of the rib-containing sections includes a first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement and a second tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement, the second tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement arranged axially adjacent to the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil and in contact with the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement. 
     
     
       18. The airfoil of  claim 17 , wherein the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement and the second tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement included in one of the rib-containing sections do not have a seam that extends radially between the inner platform and the outer platform. 
     
     
       19. A method of making a ceramic-matrix composite airfoil for use in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising
 stacking a plurality of rib-containing sections and a plurality of hollow sections radially on top of one another to form a core having a plurality of ribs spaced radially apart from one another, 
 wrapping an overwrap around the core to define a pressure side and a suction side of the airfoil that are interconnected by the plurality of ribs, and 
 co-processing the core and the overwrap to bond the core and the overwrap with ceramic matrix material, 
 wherein each of the rib-containing sections are formed by arranging a first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement material adjacent to a second tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement material so that the first tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement material is in contact with the second tube of ceramic-containing reinforcement material, 
 wherein the rib-containing sections form interfaces that are non-planar with radially-adjacent sections of the core that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil.